


Remembering Friends

by DreamerAxie



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Memories, One Shot, World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 07:56:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamerAxie/pseuds/DreamerAxie
Summary: Crutchie remembers all the memories with his friends. One shot.





	Remembering Friends

It was Crutchie’s last day as a Newsie, he was turning twenty today and even his luck was running out. Kloppman had been getting old and asked Crutchie if he could take over as caretaker, and so he was saying goodbye to the only house he had known since he was seven years old. And now saw going to get to know in a whole different light.

Looking around it looked so empty although the place was packed full of newsies, many familiar faces had disappeared over the last few years.  
Henry and Finch had been the first to disappear not to long after the strike, after that Jack had needed to leave, leaving Crutchie all alone in the penthouse. Race had taken over for Jack after that. Buttons had left with Mike and Ike not to long after for further horizons, Jack got a postcard from them once in a while.  
Specs had left not to long after Albert both of them had found a job at the docks in Brooklyn of all places where the shared the job with the former king of Brooklyn, Spot.   
And now it was their turn - JoJo, Mush, Race and him had found an affordable apartment - of course there weren’t enough rooms in the apartment for all of them but having familiar faces around they found they didn’t mind at all.

Race had given the leader’s position to Kid Blink although he wasn’t the only one they were leaving behind, they promised Elmer they would keep him, Tommy Boy and Romeo in the loop of how their lives were going.

Everyone, but Race had already left for their new home but Crutchie couldn’t help himself and started the slow ascend to the penthouse, now unoccupied and sat himself at the top of the ladder hearing the new generation of Newsies made memories swim before his eyes.

-  
He didn’t know how he had ended up in the alley, but suddenly there was an older boy hovering over him saying words that Charlie couldn’t process. But then he felt hand at his legs and started screaming :  
“Don’t touch me!” Scooting backwards until his back hit the wall.  
“Easy, kid, I’s just wanna help.” The other boy said.  
“Name’s Jack Kelly, what’s yours?” He asked as he spit in his hand and held it out.  
“Charlie Morris.” He whispered also spitting in his hand and shaking the other boys hand.  
“I gots a place where it’s lots warmer than this here alley.” Jack said. “You want a bed, some food just follow me kid.” He continued straightening back up.   
“I can’t.” Charlie said looking at his right leg. “My leg’s useless.” He continued looking up at Jack who’s eyes grew larger seeing his twisted foot.  
“You waits right ‘ere I’s be back in a sec.” Jack said running away, making Charlie curl into himself.  
But after a few moments Jack indeed came back with something in his hand.  
“This should help.” He said handing the stick to Charlie. “Is called a crutch, was left behind by the old caretaker he couldn’t walk to well neither.” Jack said as Charlie looked the thing over.  
Putting his hand out for Jack to take he stood for the first time in six months, with the help of the crutch. Jack led him to what would be Charlie’s house for the next thirteen years.

-  
Someone coming up the ladder jolted him out of his memories.   
“Crutchie, ya ready ta go?” Race asked his signature cigar in his hand, head just above the floor.  
“Just remembering good times.” Crutchie answered patting the space next to him.  
“Won’t ya join me for a sec?” He asked.  
“Sure, this place got some great memories.” Race said looking down at his cigar.  
“I guess this is a special occasion.” He continued pulling out his matchbook and lighting it.  
“Ya remember the strike?” Crutchie asked fiddling with a loose thread on his pants.  
“The good and the bad.” Race said taking a drag of the cigar before letting it go slowly. “Remember gettin the news of ya being in the Refuge and remember ya getting back, the relief of winning the strike. Having ya back in one piece was the most important thing.” He finished grabbing Crutchie’s shoulder.   
“It’s insane that we thought that the cops wouldn’t come after us, but it did bring us better pay.” Crutchie said grabbing the hand resting on his shoulder.  
“Let’s go ‘fore it gets dark.” Race said as he pushed the end of his cigar into the roof, keeping some for later and then helping Crutchie down the ladder.

“Race I’s gonna miss ya loads.” Little Bumlets said as they passed the room where all the newsies were gathered.   
“I’s gonna miss ya too, just stand ya ground and it’ll all be okay.” Race said as he hugged the small newsie. “You’s gonna be the biggest newsie there is one day, I’s just knows it.”

-  
Once they opened the door to their three room apartment, JoJo and Mush immediately there asking why they took so long and if everything was okay.   
“We’re fine guys, just some old memories.” Race said dragging Crutchie to the small table they had in the living/kitchen area. There Mush started putting some plates and glasses around the table, while JoJo put bread with some chicken they had managed to buy from Jacobi’s for cheap. It was their first meal in their new home.   
-

When Crutchie laid in bed that night he thought of the year to come. He hoped he’d meet a lovely lady one day that wouldn’t care about his bum leg and maybe some kids down the line, that he would raise like a father supposed to. Even if that didn’t happen he would make sure all the newsies saw his as their surrogate father that they could come to when they had troubles. Even if they just needed a listening ear. As far as Crutchie knew he was the first person ever who was going to be the caretaker that had been a newsie before. 

-

As it so happened years later Crutchie was sat in front of the fireplace in the lodging house, joined by all the newsies - some young, some old. They were entranced by the stories he was telling them of his younger years, distracting them from the war around them. 

-  
Even later some of his friends joined his in the story telling, stories of newsies striking, of the European battlefield and the friends lost.   
Crutchie looked around the room at the old friends around the room thinking of the ones that couldn’t join them : Finch, Sniper, Ike and Les had never made it back from Europe. But their stories lived on in the newsies of today and so they would never be forgotten.   
And if years later Crutchie didn’t show up for the next day of caretaker so would his stories in the newsies that saw him as their father.


End file.
